“And they said one to another, Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt” (Num. 14:4).
“[They] hardened their necks, and in their rebellion appointed a captain to return to their bondage” (Neh. 9:17).
“This is that Moses … to whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt” (Acts 7:37,39).
Moses experienced much sorrow of heart at the hand of his brethren whom he was called to lead. With his eyes on the Lord, he was able to endure the hardships and complete the mission that the Lord had given to him to do. He led the children of Israel out of Egypt and through many difficult situations. At one point they rebelled against him and his God and chose a different, unnamed leader to take them back to the pleasures and bondage of Egypt. This was one of many difficult trials that Moses faced on his pathway to the Promised Land, but “he endured, as seeing Him who is invisible” (Heb. 11:27).
When Moses was 40 years old he fled Egypt for fear of his life after defending one of his Hebrew brothers and killing an Egyptian (Exod. 2:15). He chose to “suffer affliction with the people of God” and to endure “the reproach of Christ” (Heb. 11:25,26) rather than enjoy the privileges that his position held for him in Egypt. He then enjoyed 40 years of contentment in the desert, keeping sheep and raising a family. He wrote Psalm 90 where he numbers the days of men as lasting 70 and possibly 80 years before they “fly away” (Psa. 90:10). At the age of 80, when he may have thought his years were about over in this world, he was called upon to do a monumental task of leading the children of Israel out of Egypt to a new land. The assignment involved returning to the scene of his crime and facing whatever lay before him there. It also involved speaking in front of powerful men, which he was very timid about doing. He said, O my Lord, I am not eloquent … but I am slow of speech” (Exod. 4:10). He went to Egypt and Aaron spoke for him at first, but as he saw the plagues of the LORD do their work, he became bolder and bolder. He spoke to Pharaoh and said “We will go … for we must hold a feast unto the LORD”; “You must give us also sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice unto the LORD our God”; “I will see your face again no more” (Exod. 10:9,25,29). These were not words of a timid man anymore, but words of a man who was carrying God’s message with authority and power.
Then we see Moses leading a company of people numbering 603,550 men 20 years old and upward who were able to go to battle (Num. 1:45,46). Adding women and children and the tribe of Levi, the total population was likely well over two or three million. Moses had been taken from the quietness of the desert and placed in charge of a large nation. He needed to orchestrate an exodus from their homes, and a trip across the Red Sea through mountains and desert on foot along with their flocks of goats and sheep and herds of cattle. What a sight that must have been to watch them travel, being led by the pillar of cloud and fire! People from other nations joined them as well and added to their number (Exod. 12:38). The LORD laid a tremendous weight on Moses as all of these people followed him to a place that none of them had ever seen before. The people had complained about their hardships in Egypt (Exod. 1:14; 2:23,24) and wanted desperately to be free from the tyranny of Pharaoh. Now they were free and trusting Moses and the LORD to bring them into a better land and life.
However, it wasn’t long before their murmuring spirit rose up as they complained at the Red Sea when Pharaoh was pursuing them (Exod. 14:12,13). Moses told them to “fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD” (Exod. 14:13) and the LORD preserved them. Then they complained about having no food and the LORD provided quail and manna for them to eat (Exod. 16). Next they complained about being thirsty and the LORD provided water from a rock (Exod. 17). In each of these instances their hearts turned back to Egypt, longing for the comforts that they had enjoyed there and not being thankful for the salvation from the hardships that they had endured in that country. How it grieved and frightened Moses to listen to their murmurings, but he took his burdens to the LORD and said “What shall I do unto this people? They are almost ready to stone me” (Exod. 17:4). The LORD always answered him and gave him reason to hope and courage to continue on being their leader.
Their complaining hearts climaxed as they rejected Jehovah their God and presumed that Moses had left them or fled when he went up on Mount Sinai. They asked Aaron to make gods for them that they could see and touch. Moses interceded for them when the LORD wanted to destroy them, but he meted out an awful yet necessary judgment on the people as 3,000 men were killed by Levites at Moses’ command (Exod. 32).
As time went on the people continued to complain. Now their source of complaint was the manna that was given to them every day as they remembered all of the variety and tastes of Egypt. Moses joined them as he asked the LORD, “Why hast Thou afflicted Thy servant? And why have I not found favor in Thy sight, that Thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?” (Num. 11:11). He asked the LORD to take his life, but the LORD responded by giving of the spirit that was upon Moses unto 70 elders of Israel so Moses would not have to bear the burden of the people alone. Then the sister and brother of Moses spoke against him and the LORD spoke on his behalf calling him “My servant Moses … who is faithful in all my house” (Num. 12:7). What a commendation from the Lord after Moses had just questioned the LORD’s ability to feed the nation and had complained about the burden he was bearing. The LORD knew his heart and patiently dealt with him during a time of doubting.
This large nation finally came to their destination, but a bad report from ten men caused them to complain and weep all night as they wished that they had never taken this journey and decided to appoint a new captain for them who would lead them back to Egypt. Moses was faced with insurrection from a people whom he had given up everything to help, leaving his privileged position in Egypt and the comforts and solitude of the desert. He was now over 80 years old, longing for this journey to be done, and now he was about to be stoned again. The LORD expressed a willingness to disinherit and destroy the multitude (Num. 14:12), but Moses again interceded for them and pled for the LORD to be longsuffering and have mercy. The LORD listened to Moses but vowed that no one who was 20 years old and upward would go into the Promised Land, except for two faithful ones, Joshua and Caleb (Num. 14:29,30).
Thus began 40 years of wandering by the people as Moses continued to lead them. He accepted this judgment from the LORD and bore it with the people. How difficult it must have been for Moses to continue leading a thankless multitude when he had been ready to enter the land and discharge his duties. The complaining continued as Korah, Dathan, and Abiram led 250 princes of Israel and questioned the authority and priesthood of Moses and Aaron. One of these may have been the captain that was appointed to lead the people back to Egypt as they attempted to overthrow their rulers. The LORD quickly re-established in the minds of the people that Moses and Aaron were His chosen leaders as He caused the earth to swallow up these three men, their homes, and their families. Fire from the LORD consumed the 250 men that had followed them.
The people complained again about their thirst and reminded Moses of all the pleasures of Egypt. Moses was impatient with the people and heeded not the LORD’s command to speak to a rock, but in anger hit it instead and suffered the consequence of not being allowed to enter into the Promised Land (Num. 20). The soul of the people continued to be “discouraged because of the way” (Num. 21:4) and they spoke against God and against Moses. Fiery serpents were sent by the Lord this time and killed many people, but Moses made a serpent of brass for the people to look upon and those who had been bitten who looked at it lived (Num. 21:9).
Moses had his 120th birthday and knew that the time had come for him to be laid to rest. He gave this charge unto the people of Israel:“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them:for the LORD your God, He it is who goes with you; He will not fail you nor forsake you” (Deut. 31:6). He finished his days by writing a song of praise unto the LORD and blessing the people who had caused him so much sorrow and trouble. The first five books of the Bible are ascribed to this man of God and the LORD buried him after He showed him all the land that He had sworn to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Deut. 34).
Moses had left all in answer to God’s call and in sacrificial love for God’s people. He endured the hardships of traveling for 40 years with a murmuring, rebellious nation numbering in the millions who often wanted to forsake him and return to the land from which the LORD had rescued them. What patience! What endurance! May we follow his example and that of the Lord Jesus and patiently fulfill the call that the Lord has for us to do. “Behold, we count them happy who endure” (Jas. 5:11). “Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Heb. 12:2).